Why the government needs to push the play button

Digital video is one of the leading ways to drive online engagement. Website pages containing video attract more traffic, have significantly longer page visits per person, and are much more likely to be shared.

So let’s see some stats, 'cos numbers don’t lie.'

According to the latest figures, the percentage of internet users consuming video content online is about 77% in Australia. It’s a similar story in the US, UK and Canada too, and it’s predicted that by 2020, around 80% of total global internet traffic will be attributed to videos.

There are some pretty straight-forward key principles to follow when producing video content. Some of the main tips to consider are:

• Creating a unique video that has 'wow' factor always wins the game
• Creating shorter, more precise videos sparks more interest
• If you’ve engaged your audience within the first 7 seconds, you’ve probably hooked them for the duration
• Making your video mobile-friendly is crucial 
• Always avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. Creating different videos for your different online platforms is a must

About 90% of SNS users share videos, 87% of marketers utilize videos in their campaigns, and viewers believe that 95% of messages from videos are retained on their minds. About 73% of B2B organisations using videos in their marketing campaigns report positive ROI results. 

Pretty powerful stuff, right?

It all seems so logical - so why is it that the Australian Government are so behind? Why are so many Departments, organisations and agencies so slow to embrace the play button and create great video content to reach their audiences?

Well, put simply... a lot of them don’t know how. 

So, let’s take a look at some of the ones who do. Let’s see some winning examples of those who’ve really set the benchmark.

The City of Canning in Perth, Western Australia have commissioned a fantastic animated video that explains to the public the benefit of the council’s community engagement efforts. At 5-minutes in length, it is at the longer end of most digital explainer videos, however due to its well-written content and entertaining style of animation, it remains engaging and relevant throughout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=29&v=cE3q7I2Emn4 

On the other hand, Planning NSW has created an animation which visually demonstrates the planned new Macquarie University Station Precinct. The 4-minute fly-by video gives the community and other stakeholders a good idea of how the new precinct will look and feel after planned improvements are made. The video takes raw planning materials and converts them into an engaging and understandable piece of useful content. Planning NSW also has a dedicated YouTube channel containing further videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctx82qACB3c  

With everything taken into account here, I’ll round off by saying that two things are clear. 

One, there’s definitely a lot we can learn from each other. So we should start actively trying.

And two, there’s enormous potential for progress in the future. And we will get there.

Still interested? Stay tuned for information on upcoming conferences and summits by following us on Facebook @ Akolade Aust 

Written by: Beth Hampton

I came to Australia in late 2016, having spent some time travelling through Southeast Asia and briefly living in Singapore – I was ready to embrace the lifestyle of a working Sydneysider!

I grew up in London, and completed my degree in Psychology at the University of York. I always dreamed of landing a job in the police, but figured it was worth swapping the handcuffs and late shifts for an exciting new city and a job full of fun and opportunity in a fantastic company like Akolade!

Love cooking, playing the piano, terrible British soap operas, an ice-cold G&T and exploring new places.

Follow me on LinkedIn for information regarding future Akolade events as well as future blogs posts @ Beth Hampton